Trip to Almaty

I just returned from taking the delegation to Almaty.  We had a nice time, both while they were here in Taraz and during our time in Almaty.  After the delegation left, my Kazakh sister and I went to the American Embassy so that she could have her interview to apply for a visa to the States this summer.  She has the opportunity to spend 2 1/2 months in Virginia studying English at Virginia Commonwealth University.  They accepted her application ... and she is thrilled to be able to go. I am excited that she has this opportunity to further her education as well as see another part of the world.  We arrived back in Taraz at 5 am Saturday morning and I have had two relaxing days.  We have about one week before our next delegation arrives from the States!  For those who want to know more about the details of a trip to Almaty ... you can read the details below.  There are also some pictures that were takenwhile the delegation was here for you to enjoy!

A Normal Trip to Almaty:

The trip to Almaty began at 10 pm when we left the house for the train station.  We arrived at the train station at 10:30 pm with plenty of time to spare before our train departed at 11:15 pm.  The train is a night train that arrives in Almaty at 9 am.  We had two coupes (4 people each) and then one extra bed in a separate coupe, where I planned to sleep.  You never know who will be your coupe-mates.  The two on the top bunk of my coupe were asleep before I entered.  The one on the bottom bunk was a grandmother named Shara who thought it was fascinating that I spoke Kazakh.  After settling the delegation into their coupes, giving the tickets to the conductor, and dealing with a slight ticket issue, I went to my coupe and promptly fell asleep.  At about 8 am the conductor roused us to let us know that we were getting close to Almaty and it was time to get our sheets together.  At 8:30 am they close the bathroom doors, so it is the last chance for a trip to the bathroom.  Around this time, you are also required to give your sheets, pillowcase, and small towel to the conductor.  

At 9:00 am we arrived at the train station, where we were met by our two drivers.  We had to walk up a four-story flight of stairs, above the trains, and back down to get to the parking area.  Then we piled into two vehicles and went to our hotel.  Upon arrival at the hotel, our luggage (which had gone up by bus the night before) was brought to us by a friend that we hire in Almaty.  When we checked in, only two rooms were ready (despite having reserved four) so we took all of our things up to the rooms and went down to breakfast (which closed at 10 am).  

The day was spent shopping and riding a cable car to a hill looking over the city.  While on the top of the hill, having dinner on a patio overlooking the city, a storm rolled in.  We made it inside just in time and enjoyed watching the storm while we ate dinner and enjoyed dessert.  By the time we finished the rain had decreased enough for us to ride the cable car back down into Almaty and take a taxi to our hotel.  

That evening we finished our debrief with the delegation and then everyone headed to bed for an early morning trip to the airport.  I met the delegation in the airport at 4:45 am to check out and take them to the airport.  Once they were checked into their flight, I headed back to the hotel to get another hour of sleep before heading to the American Embassy for my Kazakh sister's visa appointment.  We arrived just before another storm.  Thankfully, when the rain started blowing I was able to go inside and read a book while waiting for her.  Her visa was approved and we headed to her relative's house for some rest before our evening train.  

Our train in the evening left at 7:30 pm and arrived back in Taraz at 4:45 am.  One of our coupe-mates had ridden with me the last time I took the train to Almaty, so she asked me specific questions based on our previous conversation.  I felt kind of bad that I really didn't remember much about her.  It was nice to be in a coupe where she already knew me and I didn't have to answer the normal questions about myself (Who are you, Where do you work, Are you married, Why not, How old are you, What kind of work do you do, Do you have any children, What year were you born, Why do you speak Kazakh, Where did you learn Kazakh, Can you teach my child English, Do you like Kazakhstan, Is Kazakhstan or the USA better, What is your salary, etc).  We arrived home at about 5 am and I went back to sleep for a few more hours and basically relaxed for the rest of the day.